Fundraisers are a part of our daily lives. It seems you can’t go anywhere without someone trying to ask you for a donation or invite you to attend an event.

But on November 23, over 150 people took part in one of the coolest ways to raise money – a pub crawl. The 2nd Annual Maspeth Pub Crawl raised funds for the ten families of victims that lost their homes in a five-alarm fire in Middle Village this past September.

“It means the world to us, especially around the holidays,” said Dino Caporal, who lost his home in the fire. “All I can say is thank you. We are so fortunate to be part of such a caring community.”

The first group of crawlers began rolling in to the Anchor Inn just before noon. The event reached its pinnacle at the newly rebuilt O’Neill’s, where all crawlers met up and were treated to lunch catered by Frank’s Deli.

In addition to registration profits, the crawl also raised money through raffle sales and the generosity of a few establishments who felt the urge to give.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said one crawler who was treating himself to a Guinness at O’Neill’s. “If having a few beers can help out our neighbors, then I’ll have a few every day.”

The gentleman’s sentiments seemed to be shared by all. And “all” came in a variety of shapes and sizes. One crawler was spotted wearing a onesie, while another opted to suffer through the cold sporting only a tank top to cover his torso.

Although a majority of the crawl was populated by the 21-29 age group, several participants were members of the “over the hump club” as they affectionately named themselves after a few cocktails.

“This is what it means to be a neighbor,” said Sean DeBiase, co-founder of the crawl. “To help those around you just because it’s the right thing to do. We wanted to come up with a fun way to raise money. It’s great for the families and for the local businesses who participated as well. Last year we raised funds for Hurricane Sandy relief, but I think I speak for myself, Charlie, Brian, and Jessica when I say there is no greater good we could do with this money than to help our own neighbors.”

In the end, well over $2,000 was raised, and organizers have already set November 22 as the tentative date for next year's Third Annual Maspeth Pub Crawl.